Current policies and practices for the provision of diabetes care and self-management support programmes for older South Africans

Diabetes self-management: a qualitative study on challenges and solutions from the perspective of South African patients and health care providers

BACKGROUND

Health education and self-management are among key strategies for managing diabetes and hypertension to reduce morbidity and mortality. Inappropriate self-management support can potentially worsen chronic diseases outcomes if relevant barriers are not identified and self-management solutions are not contextualised. Few studies deliberately solicit suggestions for enhancing self-management from patients and their providers.

OBJECTIVE

This qualitative study aimed to unravel experiences, identify self-management barriers, and solicit solutions for enhancing self-management from patients and their healthcare providers.

METHODS

Eight in-depth interviews were conducted with healthcare providers. These were followed by four focus group discussions among patients with type-2- diabetes and or hypertension receiving chronic disease care from two health facilities in a peri-urban township in Cape Town, South Africa. The Self-Management framework described by Lorig and Holman, based on work done by Corbin and Strauss was used to analyse the data.

RESULTS

Patients experienced challenges across all three self-management tasks of behavioural/medical management, role management, and emotional management. Main challenges included poor patient self-control towards lifestyle modification, sub-optimal patient-provider and family partnerships, and post-diagnosis grief-reactions by patients. Barriers experienced were stigma, socio-economic and cultural influences, provider-patient communication gaps, disconnect between facility-based services and patients' lived experiences, and inadequate community care services. Patients suggested empowering community-based solutions to strengthen their disease self-management, including dedicated multidisciplinary diabetes services, counselling services; strengthened family support; patient buddies; patient-led community projects, and advocacy. Providers suggested contextualised communication using audio-visual technologies and patient-centred provider consultations.

CONCLUSIONS

Community-based dedicated multidisciplinary chronic disease healthcare teams, chronic disease counselling services, patient-driven projects and advocacy are needed to improve patient self-management.

Barriers and Facilitators in Access to Diabetes, Hypertension, and Dyslipidemia Medicines: A Scoping Review

Objective: Identify barriers and facilitators in access to medicines for diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, considering patient, health provider, and health system perspectives.

Methods: Scoping review based on Joanna Briggs methodology. The search considered PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Academic Search Ultimate, Web of Science, SciELO Citation Index, and grey literature. Two researchers conducted screening and eligibility phases. Data were thematically analyzed.

Results: The review included 219 documents. Diabetes was the most studied condition; most of the evidence comes from patients and the United States. Affordability and availability of medicines were the most reported dimension and specific barrier respectively, both cross-cutting concerns. Among high- and middle-income countries, identified barriers were cost of medicines, accompaniment by professionals, long distances to facilities, and cultural aspects; cost of transportation emerges in low-income settings. Facilitators reported were financial accessibility, trained health workers, medicines closer to communities, and patients’ education.

Conclusion: Barriers and facilitators are determined by socioeconomic and cultural conditions, highlighting the role of health systems in regulatory and policy context (assuring financial coverage and free medicines); providers’ role bringing medicines closer; and patients’ health education and disease management.

Health Care Workers' Perceptions on Factors Affecting Diabetes Self-Management Among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Fiji: A Qualitative Study

Background

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is known as a major cause of mortality globally. Diabetes self-management refers to daily activities undertaken to control or reduce the impact of diabetes on health and well-being to avoid further illness. Health Care Workers' (HCWs) can assist patients to be aware of self-care and solve the challenges diabetes presents. The management of diabetes can improve once HCWs promote measures that facilitate self-care activities by providing necessary information and supporting patients' initiatives to make lifestyle changes. This study aimed to explore HCWs perceptions on factors affecting diabetes self-management among T2DM patients of Fiji.

Methods

A qualitative study design was conducted to explore HCWs perceptions on factors affecting diabetes self-management using two Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) in Labasa, Fiji in 2021. The study settings were the Diabetic Hub Center, special outpatient department Labasa hospital and Nasea health Center Labasa. The study settings are located in an urban area. These health facilities provide special outpatient clinics to T2DM patients including clinics for other medical conditions. Nasea Health Center had 1,300 patients, the special outpatient's department Labasa hospital had 560 patients and the diabetic hub center Labasa had 295 patients at the time of the study. These patients either had T2DM or T2DM with other medical conditions. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit HCWs. The data were collected using an interview guide in semi-structured interviews and the interviews were audio recorded. The recorded data was transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis process.

Results

The participants were 9 HCWs with age range of 25-49 years. A counselor, a medical officer, physiotherapist, nurses and dieticians were among the HCWs. Three major themes and seven sub themes were identified. These included Theme 1- “availability of services” with the sub themes of clinical services for T2DM and other support services available for T2DM patients. Theme 2- “barriers and challenges to diabetes self-management” with the sub themes of health system factors, socioeconomic factors and health system factors. Theme 3- “Needs for diabetes management” with the sub themes resources and skilled personnel.

Conclusion

The findings of this study demonstrate health system challenges such as lack of material resources and human resources compounded the factors affecting diabetes self-management. HCWs training as diabetes educators and developing policy on diabetes self-management are highly recommended to facilitate diabetes self-management.

Prevalence of disease complications and risk factor monitoring amongst diabetes and hypertension patients attending chronic disease management programmes in a South African Township

Background

South Africa established chronic disease management programmes (CDMPs) called ‘clubs’ to ensure quality diabetes care. However, the effectiveness of these clubs remains unclear in terms of disease risk factor monitoring and complication prevention.

Aim

We assessed risk factor monitoring, prevalence and determinants of diabetes related complications amongst type-2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension (HTN) patients attending two CDMPs.

Setting

Urban Township in Cape Town, South Africa.

Methods

Cross-sectional survey combined with a 10-year retrospective medical records analysis of adult T2D/HTN patients attending two CDMPs, using a structured survey questionnaire and an audit tool. Statistical Software for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was used to analyse risk factor monitoring and calculate prevalence of complications. Potential determinants of complications were explored through logistic regression.

Results

There were 379 patients in the survey, 372 (97.9%) had HTN whilst 159 (41.9%) had T2D and HTN; 361 medical records were reviewed. Blood pressure (87.7%) and weight (86.6%) were the best monitored risk factors. Foot care (0.0% – 3.9%) and eye screening (0.0% – 1.1%) were least monitored. Nearly 22.0% of patients reported one complication, whilst 9.2% reported ≥ 3 complications. Medically recorded complications ranged from 11.1% (1 complication) to 4.2% with ≥ 3 complications. The most common self-reported and medically recorded complications were eye problems (33%) and peripheral neuropathy (16.4%), respectively. Complication occurrence was positively associated with age and female gender and negatively associated with perceived illness control.

Conclusions

Type-2 diabetes and hypertension patients experienced diabetes related complications and inadequate risk factor monitoring despite attending CDMPs. Increased self-management support is recommended to reduce complication occurrence.

Towards a needs-based design of the physical rehabilitation workforce in South Africa: trend analysis [1990-2017] and a 5-year forecasting for the most impactful health conditions based on global burden of disease estimates

BACKGROUND

Rehabilitation can improve function in many people with chronic health conditions. It is important to consider priority conditions requiring rehabilitation, so it can be realistically positioned and costed in national health financing systems like South Africa (SA)'s proposed National Health Insurance (NHI). This paper describes temporal trends of top-ranked conditions on years lived with disability (YLDs) rates in SA, for which physical rehabilitation can ameliorate associated disability.

METHODS

This study is a systematic synthesis of publicly available Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 estimates. The top 11 conditions contributing most to YLDs and for which evidence-based rehabilitation interventions exist were identified. Age-standardized rates per 100,000 and YLDs counts were extracted from 1990 to 2017. Significance of changes in temporal trends was determined using Mann-Kendall trend tests. Best-fit rates of yearly changes were calculated per condition, using GBD estimates (2012-2017), and extrapolated (by imposing the best-fit regression line onto results for each subsequent predicted year) as forecasts (2018-2022).

RESULTS

Trends for YLDs counts per condition year (1990-2017) and forecasted values (2018-2022) showed an overall steady increase for all conditions, except HIV and respiratory conditions. YLDs counts almost doubled from 1990 to 2017, with a 17% predicted increase from 2017 to 2022. The proportionate contribution to YLDs counts reduced over time for all conditions, except HIV. Although age-standardized YLDs rates appear relatively stable over the analyzed periods for all conditions (except HIV, respiratory conditions and type 2 diabetes), trend changes in YLDs rates over 28 years were significant for all conditions, except neonatal (p = 0.855), hearing loss (p = 0.100) and musculoskeletal conditions (p = 0.300). Significant trend decreases were apparent for 4/9 conditions, implying that another 5/9 conditions showed trend increases over 28 years. Predicted all-age prevalence in 2022 suggests relatively large increases for cardiovascular disease and heart failure, and burns, while relative decreases are predicted for fractures and dislocations, stroke, and musculoskeletal conditions.

CONCLUSION

Rehabilitation needs in SA are potentially massive and unmet, highlighting the need for innovative and context-specific rehabilitation that considers current local needs and projected changes. These findings should be considered when designing the NHI and other schemes in SA to ensure human and financial resources are deployed efficiently.

Suboptimal control for patients with type 2 diabetes in the Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing programme in South Africa

BACKGROUND

In South Africa, the Central Chronic Medicine Dispensing and Distribution (CCMDD) programme allows stable patients with non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), to collect their medication from a pick-up location near their home, thus avoiding long waiting times and travel expenses. The CCMDD programme aims at improving patient retention and adherence through better access to medicines, resulting in better health outcomes.

AIM

We assessed whether patients with T2DM enrolled in CCMDD achieved the recommended targets for glycaemic, blood pressure (BP) and lipid control.

SETTING

City of Tshwane, South Africa.

METHODS

We reviewed the records of 198 T2DM patients enrolled in CCMDD and assessed their control of haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), BP and lipids.

RESULTS

Most of the records reviewed belonged to women (64.7%), African (89.9%), hypertensive (82.7%) and to patients exclusively on oral antidiabetic agents (98.5%). Patients were, on average, 57.7 (s.d. = 12.1) years old and had participated in the CCMDD programme for, on average, 2 years. The mean HbA1c was 8% (s.d. = 2). Glycaemic control was achieved by only 29.2% of patients, and 49% of patients had HbA1c between 7% and 9%. Ninety-three patients (66%) had achieved the total cholesterol target, 57.4% achieved BP targets and 6.9% had achieved the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol target.

CONCLUSION

A small group of patients achieved the targets for glycaemic, BP and lipid control. Despite improved accessibility to medication, the CCMDD is not synonymous of improved clinical outcomes. Future research should ascertain the factors associated with suboptimal control for these patients.

Measuring what matters - information systems for management of chronic disease in primary healthcare settings in low and middle-income countries: challenges and opportunities

Effective health information systems are essential to the delivery of high-quality community-based care for chronic disease which will be needed to address the changing healthcare needs of populations in low and middle-income country settings. Health management information systems (health service data collected at facility level) and electronic health records (data organised by individual patients) may support the measurement-based, collaborative approach that is central to the chronic care model, which has been adopted as the basis for task-shared models of care for mental health and non-communicable disease. We used the performance of routine information systems management to guide our commentary on the evidence-base about information systems to support chronic care. We found that, despite an appetite for using the information to support decision-making around service planning, this rarely happens in practice, reasons include that data is not perceived to be of good quality or fit for purpose. There is often a mismatch between technology design and the availability of specialised knowledge and infrastructure. However, when data collection is designed in collaboration with local stakeholders, there is some evidence of success, demonstrated by completion and accuracy of data forms. Whilst there are global targets for the development of health information systems and progress on these is undoubtedly being made, indicators for chronic disease are seldom prioritised by national governments and there is insufficient decentralisation to facilitate local data-driven decision-making. Our recommendations for future research and development, therefore, focus upon the need to integrate context into the design of information systems: through building strong multisectoral partnerships, ensuring newly developed indicators are well aligned to service models and using technology that is a good fit with local infrastructure. This approach will be necessary if information systems are to deliver on their potential to drive improvements in care for chronic disease.